I-Altare—Linayiphi Indawo Ekukhulekeleni?

INGABE i-altare ulibheka njengengxenye eyinhloko yokukhulekela kwakho? Kwabaningi abahamba amasonto eLobukholwa, i-altare lingase libe yinto ebaluleke kakhulu. Ingabe wake wakucabangela lokho okwembulwa iBhayibheli ngokusetshenziswa kwama-altare ekukhulekeleni?

I-altare lokuqala okukhulunywa ngalo eBhayibhelini yilelo elakhiwa uNowa ukuze enze iminikelo yezilwane lapho ephuma emkhunjini wokusindisa ukuphila ngemva kukaZamcolo. *—Genesise 8:20.

Ngemva kokusanganiswa kwezilimi eBhabhele, isintu sasakazeka kuwo wonke umhlaba. (Genesise 11:1-9) Ngenxa yesifiso saso semvelo sokukhulekela, isintu sazama ukusondela kuNkulunkulu, lowo esasiya ngokuya singamazi, ‘simphumputha.’ (IzEnzo 17:27; Roma 2:14, 15) Kusukela osukwini lukaNowa izizwe eziningi ziye zakhela onkulunkulu bazo ama-altare. Izinkolo nezizwe ezihlukahlukene ziye zasebenzisa ama-altare ekukhulekeleni kwamanga. Njengoba babedediselwe kude noNkulunkulu weqiniso, abanye baye bawasebenzisela imikhuba enyantisayo ehilela ukubulawa kwabantu, ngisho nezingane. Amanye amakhosi akwa-Israyeli, lapho eshiya uJehova, akhela onkulunkulu bamaqaba, abanjengoBhali, ama-altare. (1 AmaKhosi 16:29-32) Kuthiwani ngokusetshenziswa kwama-altare ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso?

Ama-altare Nokukhulekela Kweqiniso Kwa-Israyeli

Ngemva kukaNowa, amanye amadoda athembekile akha ama-altare awasebenzisa ekukhulekeleni kwawo uNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova. U-Abrahama wakha ama-altare eShekemi, endaweni ethile eduze kwaseBhethele, eHebroni, naseNtabeni YaseMoriya, lapho uNkulunkulu amnikeza khona inqama ukuba anikele ngayo esikhundleni sika-Isaka. Kamuva u-Isaka, uJakobe noMose ngokuzithandela bakha ama-altare ababezowasebenzisa ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu.—Genesise 12:6-8; 13:3, 18; 22:9-13; 26:23-25; 33:18-20; 35:1, 3, 7; Eksodusi 17:15, 16; 24:4-8.

Lapho uNkulunkulu enikeza abantu bakwa-Israyeli uMthetho wakhe, wayala ukuba bakhe itabernakele, itende elithwalwayo, elalibizwa nangokuthi ‘itende lokuhlangana,’ elalizoba isici esiyinhloko selungiselelo lokusondela kuye. (Eksodusi 39:32, 40) Leli tabernakele, noma itende, lalinama-altare amabili. Elinye okwakungeleminikelo  yokushiswa, elalakhiwe ngokhuni lomtholo lambozwa ngethusi, lalibekwe phambi komnyango futhi lisetshenziselwa ukwenza iminikelo yezilwane. (Eksodusi 27:1-8; 39:39; 40:6, 29) I-altare lempepho, nalo elalakhiwe ngokhuni lomtholo kodwa lambozwa ngegolide, lalibekwe ngaphakathi etabernakele, ngaphambi kwesihenqo seNgcwelengcwele. (Eksodusi 30:1-6; 39:38; 40:5, 26, 27) Kulo kwakushiswa impepho ekhethekile kabili ngosuku, ekuseni nakusihlwa. (Eksodusi 30:7-9) Ithempeli elihlala njalo elakhiwa iNkosi uSolomoni lalakhiwe njengetabernakele, linama-altare amabili.

‘Itende Leqiniso’ Ne-altare Elingokomfanekiso

Lapho uJehova enikeza u-Israyeli uMthetho, wamnikeza okungaphezulu kakhulu kwemithetho yokulawula ukuphila kwabantu bakhe nendlela yabo yokusondela kuye ngomnikelo nangomthandazo. Eziningi zezimiso zawo zazakha lokho umphostoli uPawulu akubiza ngokuthi ‘umfuziselo,’ “umfanekiso,” noma ‘isithunzi sezinto zasezulwini.’ (Hebheru 8:3-5; 9:9; 10:1; Kolose 2:17) Ngamanye amazwi, akukona nje kuphela ukuthi izici eziningi zoMthetho zaziqondisa ama-Israyeli kuze kube yilapho kufika uKristu kodwa futhi zaziwumfuziselo wezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu ezaziyogcwaliseka ngoJesu Kristu. (Galathiya 3:24) Yebo, izici zoMthetho zaziyisiprofetho. Ngokwesibonelo, iwundlu lePhasika, okwakusetshenziswa igazi lalo njengophawu lokusindiswa kuma-Israyeli, lalifanekisela uJesu Kristu. ‘UyiWundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa isono sezwe,’ eligazi lalo lathululelwa ukusikhulula esonweni.—Johane 1:29; Efesu 1:7.

Izinto eziningi eziphathelene netabernakele nenkonzo yasethempelini zazifanekisela izinto ezingokoqobo ezingokomoya. (Hebheru 8:5; 9:23) Eqinisweni, uPawulu ubhala ‘ngetende leqiniso, elamiswa uJehova, hhayi umuntu.’ Uqhubeka athi: ‘UKristu ufika njengompristi ophakeme wezinto ezinhle esezenzekile, udabula etendeni elikhulu neliphelele ngokwengeziwe elingenziwanga ngezandla, okuwukuthi, elingelona elale ndalo.’ (Hebheru 8:2; 9:11) Lelo ‘tende elikhulu neliphelele ngokwengeziwe’ laliyilungiselelo likaJehova lethempeli elikhulu elingokomoya. Ulimi olusetshenziswe emiBhalweni lubonisa ukuthi ithempeli elikhulu elingokomoya yilungiselelo abantu abangasondela ngalo kuJehova ngesisekelo somhlatshelo kaJesu Kristu oyisihlawulelo.—Hebheru 9:2-10, 23-28.

Ngokuqinisekile, ukuthola eZwini likaNkulunkulu ukuthi amanye amalungiselelo nezimiso zoMthetho kufanekisela izinto ezingokoqobo ezinkulu kakhulu, ezinokubaluleka okukhulu kakhulu nezingokomoya kwenza sikholelwe ukuthi iBhayibheli liphefumulelwe. Kujulisa nokwazisa ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu okubonakala kuphela emiBhalweni.—Roma 11:33; 2 Thimothewu 3:16.

I-altare lomnikelo wokushiswa nalo liyisiprofetho. Kubonakala sengathi limelela “intando,” kaNkulunkulu noma ukuzimisela kwakhe ukwamukela umhlatshelo kaJesu wobuntu ophelele.—Hebheru 10:1-10.

Kamuva encwadini yamaHebheru, uPawulu usho lokhu okuthakazelisayo: “Sine-altare abangenalo igunya lokudla kulo labo abenza inkonzo engcwele etendeni.” (Hebheru 13:10) Wayekhuluma ngaliphi i-altare?

Abakhulumeli abaningi bobuKatolika bathi i-altare okukhulunywa ngalo kumaHebheru 13:10 yilelo elisetshenziselwa uKwamukelisa, “isakramente” okuthiwa umhlatshelo kaKristu uvuselelwa ngalo ngeMisa. Kodwa umongo uyabonisa  ukuthi i-altare uPawulu ayekhuluma ngalo liwumfanekiso. Izazi eziningi zithi kulo mbhalo igama elithi “i-altare” lisetshenziswe ngendlela ewumfanekiso. NgokukaGiuseppe Bonsirven, umJesuit, “lokhu kuvumelana ngokuphelele nayo yonke inkulumo ewumfanekiso esencwadini [eya kumaHebheru].” Uthi: “Ngolimi lobuKristu, igama elithi ‘i-altare’ ekuqaleni lalisetshenziswa ngomqondo ongokomoya kwaze kwaba kuphela ngemva kuka-Irenaeus, ikakhulukazi ngemva kukaTertullian noSt. Cyprian, lapho kwathiwa libhekisela ekwamukeliseni ikakhulukazi etafuleni lokwamukelisa.”

Njengoba kwasho umagazini wamaKatolika, ukusetshenziswa kwe-altare kwanda “ngenkathi kaConstantine” ‘ngokwakhiwa kwezindlu ezinkulu zokukhulekela.’ I-Rivista di Archeologia Cristiana (Christian Archaeology Review) yathi: “Kuyiqiniso ukuthi emakhulwini amabili okuqala eminyaka, abukho ubufakazi bokuthi kwakukhona indawo yokukhulekela eqondile kunalokho izinkonzo zaziqhutshelwa emakamelweni emizini yabantu . . . , amakamelo okwakuthi ingaphela inkonzo abuyiselwe esimweni sawo.”

Indlela ELobukholwa Elilisebenzisa Ngayo I-altare

Umagazini wamaKatolika i-La Civiltà Cattolica, uthi: “I-altare liyisici esiyinhloko hhayi nje kuphela sesakhiwo sesonto kodwa nesamalungu eSonto.” Nokho, uJesu Kristu akamisanga ngisho nowodwa umkhosi wenkolo owenzelwa e-altare; futhi akukho mkhosi ayala abafundi bakhe ukuba bawenzele e-altare. Lapho uJesu ekhuluma nge-altare kuMathewu 5:23, 24 nakwezinye izindawo wayebhekisela emikhubeni yenkolo eyayenziwa amaJuda, wayengasho ukuthi abalandeli bakhe kwakumelwe bakhulekele uNkulunkulu besebenzisa i-altare.

UGeorge Foot Moore (1851-1931), isazi-mlando esingumMelika, wabhala: “Izici eziyinhloko zokukhulekela kobuKristu zazilokhu zifana njalo, kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi leyo micikilisho elula yaphakathi nekhulu lesibili echazwa uJustin yandiswa yaba miningi.” Imidanti yobuKatolika nezinkonzo zakhona zeningi kuningi futhi kuyinkimbinkimbi kangangokuthi kuyisifundo esizimele—isifundo semidanti yokukhulekela—ezikoleni zabefundisi bamaKatolika. UMoore waqhubeka wathi: “Lo mkhuba, okhona kuzo zonke izinkambiso, waqhutshekiselwa phambili ngezinga elikhulu yithonya leThestamente Elidala lapho abefundisi abangamaKristu beqala ukubhekwa njengabasesikhundleni sabapristi bangaphambili. Izembatho ezinhle zompristi ophakeme, izingubo zemikhosi zabanye abapristi, izindwendwe ezingcwele, abahlabeleli bamaLevi abahuba amahubo, izikhatha zempepho eziphuma ezitsheni ezizuliswayo—konke kwabonakala kuyindlela emiswe uNkulunkulu yokumkhulekela, okwenza isonto lazizwa linelungelo lokwenza imicikilisho eyedlula eyezinkolo zasendulo.”

Kungakumangalisa ukwazi ukuthi imicikilisho eminingi, imikhosi, izembatho, nezinye izinto ezisetshenziswa amasonto ahlukahlukene ekukhulekeni akulandeli izimfundiso zobuKristu ezisemaVangelini, kodwa kulandela imikhuba nemicikilisho yamaJuda namaqaba. I-Enciclopedia Cattolica ithi isonto lobuKatolika “likuthathe ebuJudeni nasebuqabeni ukusebenzisa i-altare.” UMinucius Felix, umlweli wokholo wekhulu lesithathu C.E., wabhala ukuthi amaKristu ‘ayengenawo amathempeli nama-altare.’ Isichazamazwi esiyi-encyclopedia i-Religioni e Miti (Religions and Myths) naso sithi: “AmaKristu akuqala akwenqaba ukusebenzisa i-altare ukuze azihlukanise nenkolo yobuJuda neyobuqaba.”

Ngenxa yokuthi ubuKristu busekelwe ikakhulukazi ezimisweni okumelwe zamukelwe futhi zisetshenziswe ekuphileni kwansuku zonke kuwo wonke amazwe, sasesingasekho isidingo somuzi ongcwele emhlabeni noma ithempeli elingokoqobo elinama-altare noma sabapristi abangabantu abasezikhundleni ezikhethekile abagqoka izembatho ezihlukile. UJesu wathi: ‘Ihora liyeza lapho ningayikumkhulekela uBaba kule ntaba noma eJerusalema. Abakhulekeli beqiniso bayokhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.’ (Johane 4:21, 23) Imicikilisho eyinkimbinkimbi nokusetshenziswa kwama-altare emasontweni amaningi kukushaya indiva lokho okwashiwo uJesu mayelana nendlela uNkulunkulu weqiniso okumelwe akhulekelwe ngayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]